5
The damned shores
The ride was not as wearying as he supposed. Riding towards the west he needed no rest from horseback riding. That path he took was neither designed for crops nor abiding, rather to travel, however even for the ignorant and petty travelling was not to be done. The plains, as he called them, were actually uneven, with tall weeds waving to the swift air; trees to the far corners seeming only spots of blurred vision; rocky roads with docile soil which had fresh grass almost covering the whole path apart from bare spots here and there.
One day and a half it took him to reach the waters. He could smell them from a distance; the call of horns and birds he heard. Downward slope he could see Pier-side city fully functioning unaware of the evil lurking to the west. He was greeted by the first guards past the main entrance although not gated the main road was guarded as well as town-crossing streets; they made way for him through the line of merchant caravans and locals. Walking into the city with Epona behind him, he saw soldiers, villagers, and seamen from different ports and through the passing crowd the port master's fort where he could find Lord Anchorage. He did so after much waiting, apparently all of he ships had cast themselves off to protect the trading companies and travelling currents. All of them, for the exception of Lord Anchorage's vessel had sailed off.
"Forgive me Master Link" pleaded Lord Anchorage. They were both at his officer's workroom looking at a map with all of the ships marked in it. "Had I received your message sooner I would have postponed one of the orders."
"What can I do?" inquired calmly.
"We could take my ship, however it is not supposed to sail without royal permission and even if we overlooked that order, we cannot sail without a destination signed in our books. Unfortunately it is a bylaw no crew will discard."
"I never thought I would see law fail"
Link sat in a chair while he let Lord Anchorage have the pressure of resolving the predicament.
Clearly, Link could not take the ship to the circle of eternal beams for Zelda would find out, as the bylaw dictated. Maintaining the course of the quest and keeping it secret seemed impossible to be done together.
He pondered it repeatedly holding his fist against his frown. He smelled the leather and the steel from his gauntlets, which helped him concentrate. Leather and steel, a smell more appropriate for battle than rose oils.
"Show me on the map the extent of the circle." He requested suddenly. Not startled but taken from deep thinking Lord Anchorage returned to the table and pointed to the map to show him.
"It is not an exact measure, but I believe this is the area." He circled his finger on his map and Link noticed a patch of small dots on the map, which that finger scratched.
"Those islands, are those the keys?"
"The Keys?" the sailor repeated as he would with a foreign word. "Are you referring to the Yimtag Keys?
"Aye"
"Those are the Yimtag Keys, all right. Several leagues away from the circle, they are. There is an island in the middle. Men call it the Dungeon Island; whether it has been properly named I have no idea." He turned to a cup of tea and sipped.
"I have travelled near the area several times; I heard they hold warriors for hire as well as ships."
"Pirate filth… I would gladly hang them today or any day." He turned to sip again until then he feared one thought. "Would you plan to hire a ship there?"
Link nodded without looking at him. He kept staring at the map looking for a route close to the keys, something they could record in the notebooks, report to the princess and arise no suspicion.
"Being close to that island is an invitation for a raid." Link did not answer. Lord Anchorage's cup clanked on the dish. He placed both hands firmly and raised his voice. "I shall not see my ship or my crew in such danger, an unnecessary danger, that is."
"I would sail to Sendrh Uchia in it if needed." Link barely turned.
"I shall never permit that, master trainer." He yelled.
"I shall cut your throat if I have to!" Link stood up, he slammed his hand on the table and placed the other over his knife. Some curious soldiers gathered around the door trying to grasp some of the conversation. Inside both men stayed their ground, unwilling to recede.
"That night, master Link I spoke not my mind. This is the time for a confession. That is: I do not share your vision of this battle. I do not believe you shall triumph over Ganon and his army. Desist in your attempt. Wilfully take our strength and the strength of the army, and the sages and the triforce. Do you not trust time?"
Link didn't even listen. He took no bother in understanding his words and left them to be noise suspended in the air.
"Set course for the north eastern trade and passing route. Send royal warn about this course and explain one of the ships needed reinforcement against pirates. You can release me within a hundred leagues and leave me to swim. I brought something with me." From a satchel Link took out a mask with the shape of a Zora, this he acquired when a lad. The mask had the powers to transform him into one of the fish-people with all of their powers. One hundred leagues could be done in this shape.
Lord Anchorage beseeched Link to change his mind; it had no effect. He prepared the crew and in the morning they sailed for the trade and passing route. The sea was unsteady as they left port and tamed only when in the open part of it.
They continued for several weeks until they reached the dropping point. Link was given a special bag to put his gear in while transformed, a rope since the bag would float and a direction towards the unseen destination. "That way" said a seaman pointing with his finger into the horizon. Link put on the mask and transformed then leaped off the ship and in a horizontal whirlpool he swam towards the Yimtag keys.
Three hours later he walked in the sands of the Dungeon Island. He could see why they called it that. The island was full of wanted men both those that escaped prison and the ones that escaped or sank galleys. The even had a heap to put one's broken chains upon arrival, this to provide steel to the smiths for they could not easily get it.
The docks were in a deplorable state, the wood seemed to be held only by some miracle, it creaked with every step sounding like a very big frog, some decks even had holes no one seemed to care about; there were more ships than berths to tie them, ships were full and even out-capacitated with men cheering and cursing to anyone who dared staring, one sailor drank a whole pint in one gulp then threw a beaker towards Link towards calling him a wretched pale skin bastard to which he paid no mind. The shores had many huts but amid the huts a path went straight towards the port city. This took almost the entire island. It was a city built with the trees and full of everything needed for the stranded criminal. The streets were difficult to walk. So many people, so many drunks injured, so little helping them and so many others taking their belongings. Right at the end in front of what seemed a jungle laid a tavern even more rudimentary than the rest of the huts, though bigger. Link walked into it knowing he could find at least information.
Inside, an arrow shot at him quickly met his hand and after snatching it he broke it and flicked the tip at the man who shot it. The arrowhead hit the man's hood revealing his face. A regular thief who liked killing from afar, the coward left in a rush tripping and stumbling against the crowd.
Link turned to the bar and talked to the owner, this man was bald, old and perhaps almost blind for he guided himself touching the bottles and the wood.
"You, come." Link called for him and touching the bar he went.
"What do you want to drink?"
"I need information."
"Would you like to talk? Then go outside. In here I serve drinks."
Link pulled out a rupee and put it on the bar. "Take this and give me anything you have."
That gem drew the attention of the thieves. One of them attempted to grab it but his arm Link held back. "Do not try to steal from me." Link sounded out and before the man could pull a knife and stab him, Link twisted his arm and threw him to the door, which opened it with a fall and out of sight. Quickly the others joined; Link kicked the closest one on the knee, this man fell to the ground. Another one tackled him without dropping him Link grabbed this one by the clothes and threw him to other two that fell over the man on the floor with a damaged knee. And finally a large one behind Link drew a knife and with his might drove it to Link's back, the Hylian soldier spun out of the way, drew his own knife and stabbed his foe to the side. The large man fell instantly and Link turned around to others that stared and had placed a hand to their weapons.
"Desist if you wish to live." Link pointed at them with his stained Kokiri sword. In spite of not understanding what he said all of the men sat down and resumed their conversations or whatever they were doing. Link turned back at the owner who had been seeing everything.
"Here is your drink, sir" and he took the rupee. He stared at it and asked the colour.
"Red" Link replied as he drank from the pint, there he could taste something familiar buried amongst the different ales.
"You must be a soldier from one of the eastern kingdoms, perhaps Hyrule?"
"Aye."
"Yes, I thought that. You see even though I have never left this island I know the entire world. Yes the entire world has travelled through here."
"I need a ship for hire." Link interrupted the old man.
"A ship?
The old man finished cleaning the bar from the blood and wine spilled by the pirates. He then laughed nodding his head as though as something amused him.
"Strange fate or luck I may say. No one in this island would share that knowledge with you. And no one inside this place commands a ship. But I do share it with you." The old man responded. "Did you come through out eastern or southern docks?"
"The one a path leads straight for here."
"Those are the southern docks. You saw many ships there, crowded, full capacity and even more?"
"Yes."
"Those are the only ships for hire. The rest on the eastern docks belong to the men that own this island and everything around. The ships on the southern docks dwell there for their crews are safe aboard. They wait for traders or travellers, anyone they can rob. They you can hire. Hire I say though a contract you will not get. You can pay them or kill their captain and for that you may take them to sea, suggest a destination and be dropped there. You will have no authority on the men or the ship. You may not change the course nor come back with them. Perhaps individually you may hire some men or gear but its price is a separate issue. In any case be it by blade or prize, you shall not have trouble hiring the ship."
Having said that Link left for the docks. He did not look back nor take notice on the people fighting or being merry or simply walking by. Night was at hand and he needed to sail at once. Finding the circle would be a simple task, perhaps even finding that entrance.
Then again it occurred to him, what of Zelda? This was a terrible time to think about that but he could not help it. Her aroma was with her again; those rose oils were eternal as though as they had always existed even before he was born. The smell had a name and it was Zelda. They were royalty, they were beautiful and desired. He tried to forget it instead he wondered what she could be doing at that moment. How could she react? He pictured her as he walked among the most undesirable people on the face of the earth his love at the throne listening caringly to the commoners. He could picture her working in her garden, taking care of the flowers that gave him his lead. The way she walked around the castle; the nights they spent together simply talking or even arguing.
Link saw a ship with a celebration aboard and that brought him back to his senses; he knew that ship was perfect for the work.
He leaped onto the deck and with the stomp of his heavy boots, celebration ceased. Every one of the seamen turned to see him. He only resembled a shadow in the night; the fire-pots did not light him enough only the small glare defined his silhouette. Many of them stood and drew their swords. A circle was formed around the singing men and a roast and open barrel of wine. One painted man stood up and dared to speak and for the moment hold his men. "Who are you?" he inquired without holding arms. Link walked closer towards the fire and finally the light shun on him. Several men on the back laughed at his attire. Apparently the painted man was the captain; he wore a simple waistcoat, he had no shirt on and his britches were short, just below the knee. He held two curved swords on his back scabbards crossed. His face was painted in the manner of tribes from the far continents of the south. He also wore a piece of red clothing with a tribal emblem around his head that served no purpose than to distinct himself as commander.
Link threw at him his bag of rupees; the captain snatched it in mid-air. "I require your ship" he stated. Even when the captain would not say anything, Link knew he had not understood his words. "I require your ship" he spoke in a clearer manner and louder voice. Having said that the captain opened the bag and surprise at the content. He showed other men beside him and he agreed to the proposition. He yelled at everyone to go to stations and called them filthy leeches.
The ship set to sail after an hour. By then all of the men had put out the fire eaten the roast with full hands before it and drank the barrel even earlier and left for the circle.
It took them another hour to get past the docks dodging the other vessels and stopping occasionally to argue and threaten anyone who even looked at them. Finally they took wind and sailed directly. The winds were favourable and the waters easy to travel, after all the seas at that time of the year presented quite a delight only if his quest was as delightful.
The travelling time came to a week, during which Link had to punch most of the crew for food or water for he had no money left and wanted to leave them with the same men as he sailed. His fighting skills suggested the men that it was best not to irritate him. More than once did the captain cross a word with him as he saw that Link was more than met the eye. They even shared one or two experiences about being from tribes enclosed within their selves. It was during one of those conversations that they saw the circle. Even at a far distance could see them as a small glare, one that could almost fit in a hand. It seemed to connect heaven and earth by a small golden knot.
The captain asked Link his intentions.
"I am looking for evil, to fight it."
"Evil?" the captain asked. "Do you plan to kill us all?"
"No, you and your crew are nothing to me. This evil threatens the Hyrule kingdom and all of the earth. Your ship is hardly a hardship for occasional travellers.
The captain burst in laughter. Links words were very amusing to him. Offended he was not.
"Why the circle?"
"It is complicated." Link sighed trying to find the correct words. "The place I seek needed an entrance where no man would ever set foot."
"That is true; they say that under the eternal beams an abyss lies. Only darkness at the bottom you shall find if there is a bottom."
Link then thought about the words of that pirate. Darkness below the light, he alleged. A contrast; it was an entrance.
If morning or not, they reached the circle of eternal beams. All of the men marvelled at the yell from the watchman. "Look at the water!" he shouted down to the crew. They went to both sides and gazed at what they could not believe. They thought they saw lightning inside the water. Below the surface, where the unclear disturbed water became dark by the abyss, they saw lightning. Flashes, enormous strings of light weaved about as far as the eye can see.
This did not surprise Link and he cared not about it. But where was the entrance? He wondered. The Lightning was an obvious hint, but it expressed neither a way in nor the means to do so. He thought about it for a minute and thought it was best to be immersed in it. At least for a while, maybe as a Hylian Link could do more than as a Zora. After all the entrance had to be found by accident as it was more likely to had been found by mistake rather than by diligent search. He took a deep breath, the satchel and told the captain to leave at once, and then he went into the water headfirst. The weight of his weapons brought him down fast. There he saw nothing; not even the lightning could reveal the surroundings. An illusion they are, Link thought. The darkness surrounded him, he was guided by his instincts, and he let himself be swollen by the deep at least as much as his lungs permitted him. Then he felt something, as if something went past him, his ears resented the distance and perceived a muffled sound. Then he felt his legs unwillingly being taken away by some force, it was a current to a side that swallowed him. He tried to fight it and to breathe again went for the satchel but its power disabled his hands so he could not reach the mask. The force brought him to more darkness, bubbles from his last breath was all he could hear. He lost consciousness and then hope.
He opened his eyes and beyond the water surface, from the bottom he saw crippled light, red and dark orange. He put on his Zora mask and caught his breath again. Swimming he saw the shore, slowly he approached to walk the sand. His head was out and he could see it. Docks, creatures, monsters and a tall tower made from stone. He could see many ships to sail and beyond he saw a cave where the ships would find passage. "That is the way I came." He acknowledged to himself. There, he was finally in Sendrh Uchia.
